Arab League

News about Arab League, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Sep. 2, 2013

Arab League urges international action against Syrian government to deter what it calls the 'ugly crime' of using chemical weapon; announcement is seen as major step toward supporting Western military strikes but short of the explicit endorsement that United States and some Persian Gulf allies had hoped for. MORE

Aug. 28, 2013

Arab League blames Syrian government for chemical attack that killed hundreds of people, but declines to back a retaliatory military strike; move leaves Pres Obama without broad regional support he had for his last military intervention in the Middle East, in Libya in 2011. MORE

Jul. 18, 2013

Arab League diplomats praise Secretary of State John Kerry's proposals for Middle East peace negotiations, strong signal that Israeli-Palestinian talks might soon be resumed. MORE

May. 3, 2013

Editorial welcomes Arab League's suggestion that its 2002 peace initiative could be modified to bring it more in line with American and Israeli ideas; holds move is first step toward addressing crucial question of what Arab states will do in any discussion of negotiated peace between Israel and Palestinians. MORE

May. 1, 2013

Sec of State John Kerry embraces proposal by Arab League to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians; league's openness to land swaps is seen as significant shift, but Israel appears reluctant to accept Palestinian conditions for resuming talks. MORE

Mar. 27, 2013

Syrian opposition coalition leader Sheik Moaz al-Khatib takes country's vacant seat at Arab League summit meeting and requests broader recognition, including from United Nations; decision to give membership to opposition is considered symbolic but important moment in Syrian conflict. MORE

Mar. 27, 2013

Qatar's Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani proposes that Arab League create $1 billion fund to protect Arabic and Islamic heritage of Jerusalem and says he will contribute $250 million himself; emir's proposal reflects his increased political influence in Middle East politics and vast sums of oil-wealth he has used to exert it. MORE

Sep. 15, 2012

International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is scheduled to meet with Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad in effort to end the longstanding conflict, which has killed thousands. MORE

Sep. 14, 2012

United Nations-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, tasked with ending Syria's civil war, says conflict is worsening and ending it will be 'nearly impossible.' MORE

Apr. 5, 2012

Op-Ed article by Open Society Foundation president Aryeh Neier makes the case for an Arab League tribunal to deal with the war crimes taking place in Syria; suggests such a court would have jurisdiction over all crimes, including those committed by rebels. MORE

Mar. 30, 2012

News analysis; members of the Arab League attend summit meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, to explore how much—and how little—has changed after a year of popular uprisings and bloody revolts began chipping away at the old order of the Middle East; offer platitudes about reform and democracy, but fail to address the unrest sweeping many countries. MORE

Mar. 26, 2012

For Iraqi diplomats and officials, the three-day meeting of the Arab League in Baghdad, is a banner moment for a country emerging from decades of war, occupation and diplomatic isolation; Iraq’s leaders see a rare chance to reassert themselves as players in a transformed Arab world by hosting the first major diplomatic event here since American troops withdrew in December; despite its aspirations to wield influence as a new Arab democracy, Iraq may be relegated to playing the role of host rather than leader. MORE

Mar. 21, 2012

String of suicide attacks and car bombings kill at least 43 people in a half-dozen cities across Iraq, acting as a bloody reminder that insurgent violence still wreaks havoc with the country's tenuous stability; attacks come as Iraq is spending $500 million for security to prepare for thousands of Arab leaders, diplomats, journalists and others to arrive for the Arab League summit meeting. MORE

Mar. 6, 2012

Syria's government makes diplomatic gestures toward seeking an end to uprising there by agreeing for first time to allow visits by top United Nations relief official and by the newly designated envoy who represents the United Nations and the Arab League; still, opposition activists say government has widened their campaign to crush the opposition in the most restive areas. MORE

Feb. 18, 2012

Backers of Arab League peace plan for Syria say they are seeking new ways to aid opponents of Pres Bashar al-Assad and to ensure that an international conference in Tunisia puts additional pressure on him to give up power; statements come after an overwhelming vote of support at the United Nations General Assembly. MORE

Feb. 13, 2012

Arab League officials ask the United Nations Security Council to send a peacekeeping mission to Syria, and call on Arab nations to sever diplomatic relations with Damascus in an effort to pressure the Syrian government to end the bloodshed that appears to be escalating into a civil war. MORE

Feb. 4, 2012

Pres Bashar al-Assad's loyal disciple and Vice President Farouk al-Shara would almost certainly become the temporary president of Syria, under the Arab League peace proposal. MORE

Jan. 30, 2012

Syrian government, striking out at its opponents in the rebellious eastern suburbs of Damascus, sends soldiers and tanks to vanquish pockets of fighters in escalation of the spreading war, leaving at least nine dead; government's latest offensive comes one day after the Arab League suspended a monitoring mission in Syria because of increasing violence. MORE

Jan. 29, 2012

Arab League suspends its monitoring mission in Syria, saying harsh new government crackdown makes it too dangerous to proceed and could result in the deaths of innocents across the country; suspension comes after days of bloody civil conflict in cities across Syria. MORE

Jan. 25, 2012

Syria forcefully rejects regional attempt to broker an end to its bloody 10-month conflict, suggesting that the government's use of force to put down the uprising will not stop; divisions continue in the United Nations Security Council of how best to proceed with the Arab League's proposal for de-escalating of violence. MORE

Jan. 24, 2012

Tour of Homs, Syria, provides a glimpse of ceaseless violence, as Syrian government rejects a new peace plan proposed by the Arab League; despite rejection, it appears that Western governments have new plan to further isolate Syrian regime. MORE

Jan. 23, 2012

Arab League unexpectedly floats an ambitious peace proposal for Syria that would require Pres Bashar al-Assad to hand over power to a deputy and start negotiations with his opponents within two weeks; proposal reflects divisions within the league over how to handle the Syrian crisis in the face of its failure to curb the ongoing violence. MORE

Jan. 20, 2012

Editorial urges Arab League to end their failed monitoring mission in Syria and impose the sanctions they had approved and then suspended, as well as insist that the United Nations Security Council do the same; holds the international community should exert needed diplomatic and economic pressure to make clear to Pres Bashar al-Assad and his cronies that their time has run out. MORE

Jan. 18, 2012

At least 34 people are killed as violence surges across several Syrian towns and cities; bloodshed marks an increase in the already high volume of fatalities that have persisted despite the presence of Arab League monitors. MORE

Jan. 13, 2012

Several Arab League monitors have left Syria or may do so soon because the mission has failed to halt Pres Bashar al-Assad's violent crackdown on the popular revolt against his rule. MORE

Jan. 10, 2012

Editorial contends that the Arab League is failing to enforce its agreement with Syria's Pres Bashar al-Assad to stop 10-month crackdown against the country's mostly peaceful protesters; says the only meaningful course is for the Arab League to enforce the economic sanctions it approved in November 2011. MORE

Jan. 9, 2012

Arab League calls again for Syrian security forces and armed groups to immediately halt violence in the country; call comes on day when activists say at least 21 people were killed despite the presence of Arab League monitors. MORE

Jan. 5, 2012

Qatari Foreign Min Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani consults with United Nations Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon about enhancing the performance of the Arab League monitors in Syria, who he says lack experience. MORE

Jan. 4, 2012

Syrian activists report that at least two people are killed in Hama, despite presence of Arab League observers; league will send additional monitors to shore up heavily criticized mission, which was intended to force Syrian government to follow through on promises to withdraw troops from cities; activists say at least 150 people have been killed since observers arrived; French Pres Nicolas Sarkozy renews his call for Pres Bashar al-Assad to step down. MORE

Jan. 3, 2012

Killings have continued in Syria, despite Arab League observer mission, which is charged with helping to end the violence there; mission is mired in controversy; activists say mission's leader Lt Gen Muhammad Ahmed al-Dabi once presided over same kind of deadly tactics in Sudan that the Arab League is seeking to curb in Syria. MORE

Jan. 2, 2012

Arab Parliament calls for immediate withdrawal of Arab League monitors in Syria; independent group contends that Arabs are angered by the Syrian government's continued assault against its citizens in defiance of the presence of the monitors. MORE

Dec. 31, 2011

Tens of thousands of protesters defy a continuing government crackdown to fill the streets of several Syrian cities, intent on showing Arab League monitors the extent of opposition to Pres Bashar al-Assad. MORE

Dec. 30, 2011

Syrian security forces open fire on demonstrators in a Damascus suburb, killing several people who had gathered to greet arriving Arab League observers; violence dashes hopes that observers, who are supposed to monitor promises by government of Pres Bashar al-Assad to withdraw its forces from populated areas, might help stem bloodshed in the region. MORE

Dec. 29, 2011

Violence continues to flare in the Syrian city of Homs despite the presence of Arab League observers who are supposed to be monitoring a withdrawal of government forces from the city. MORE

Dec. 28, 2011

Team of Arab League observers travels to embattled Syrian city Homs in a visit that quiets days of fierce violence but also provides hints of potential challenges of a group trying to monitor a withdrawal of the government's security forces in towns across the country; appears limited by government efforts to conceal its crackdown. MORE

Dec. 27, 2011

At least 30 people are killed in fighting in rebellious Syrian city Homs, spurring France to join with residents and opposition figures in urging observers from the Arab League to quickly visit the city; residents describe a multi-day siege as leaving several neighborhoods without food, water or electricity. MORE

Dec. 23, 2011

Delegates from the Arab League travel to Damascus to start monitoring the Syrian government's promise to end its violent suppression of the nine-month-old uprising; visit is intended to set the ground rules for a mission that is supposed to bring hundreds of observers to Syria in the coming weeks. MORE

Dec. 23, 2011

Editorial urges the Arab League to speak out forcefully against Syrian Pres Bashar al-Assad's abuses against his own people, and to make clear that it will not permit him to manipulate the league's monitoring mission. MORE

Dec. 22, 2011

Syrian rights activists and opposition groups say forces loyal to Pres Bashar al-Assad have killed at least 160 defecting soldiers, civilians and activists in northwestern Syria; killings would constitute one of the worst spasms of violence since start of uprising; report comes day before observers from the Arab League are set to visit Syria in order to monitor pledges by the Assad government to withdraw its troops from besieged areas. MORE

Dec. 20, 2011

Syrian government, bowing to international pressure to end its violent crackdown on protests, signs an Arab League initiative that will allow outside observers into country; Pres Bashar al-Assad's opponents quickly dismiss move as ploy, saying government will find ways to thwart observers; agreement calls on government to remove its forces and heavy weaponry from restive cities and open dialogue with opposition groups. MORE

Dec. 18, 2011

Arab League states, frustrated by Syria's failure to carry out agreement to end crackdown on anti-government protests, warns that they may take matter to United Nations Security Council. MORE

Dec. 17, 2011

Hundreds of thousands demonstrate in cities across Syria in frustration over intransigence of Pres Bashar al-Assad’s government and delays in economic sanctions repeatedly promised by Arab League; Assad faces an unexpected source of new diplomatic pressure as Russia, one of his most loyal allies, proposes surprise Security Council resolution calling on all antagonists in the Syrian conflict to begin negotiations. MORE

Dec. 6, 2011

Syria says that it will agree to allow Arab mission of monitors to enter country and oversee Arab League peace plan to end months of violence, but attaches conditions, including cancellation of economic sanctions decreed by league; Arab League says it will not immediately revoke its measures. MORE

Dec. 1, 2011

Turkey takes steps to freeze the Syrian government's financial assets, impose a travel ban on senior Syrian officials and cut off transactions with the country's central bank, sharply escalating international pressure in response to Syria's continuing violence against civilians; Turkey says that the measures are being enacted in concert with the Arab League and are part of a developing international effort to strangle Syria's economy and diminish the power of its government. MORE

Nov. 29, 2011

Syria’s foreign minister Walid al-Moallem says Arab League declared 'economic war' when it leveled broad trade sanctions against Syria and warns the country could use its strategic location to retaliate; contends he is not threatening anyone but notes that many airlines cross Syrian airspace; Syria is also on main route for heavy trucks heading from Europe and Turkey to the Persian Gulf, where Qatar and Saudi Arabia are among Syria's harshest critics. MORE

Nov. 28, 2011

Arab League imposes a battery of economic sanctions on Syria that are meant to sever most trade and investment from the Arab world, an unprecedented step against a member state; the tough measures, aimed at stopping Syria's bloody crackdown on dissidents, constitutes another blow to the Syrian economy and deepens the country's international isolation. MORE

Nov. 26, 2011

Syria ignores an Arab League deadline to accept observers to oversee a peace deal to end more than eight months of bloodshed; league officials had said that if the deadline was not met, Arab finance ministers would meet to discuss imposing sanctions that would deal a severe blow to Syria's suffering economy. MORE

Nov. 25, 2011

Arab League calls on Syria to agree to admit international monitors within 24 hours or face economic sanctions, a humiliating affront for the Syrian government; the warning comes as activists report new clashes between army troops and defectors that left 29 dead across the country. MORE

Nov. 19, 2011

France joins Turkey in calling for greater international effort to exert pressure on Syria to stop its bloody crackdown on protesters; Syria submits its first response to a proposal by the Arab League to send a delegation of more than 500 military and civilian observers to the country, but critics say it appears to be a stalling tactic MORE

Nov. 17, 2011

Arab League offers to send civilian and military monitors to Syria to determine whether it is abiding by a league-brokered peace plan to end the crackdown on the country's eight-month uprising and offers Syria three days to accept the plan; the move amounts to a surprise reprieve for Syria and counters the league's startling earlier decision to suspend Syria. MORE

September 9, 2013, Monday

The Arab League adopted a resolution urging action against the Syrian government for what it called the “ugly crime” of using chemical weapons, but it stopped short of an explicit reference to military intervention.